West Pembroke Arts Committee Earns PSEA
The West Pembroke School Arts Committee – Oneka Trott, Charmaine Foggo‑Friday, Jared Robinson, Stacy Babb, Michelle Spenser, Sierra Reid, and Shacolbi Basden — has earned the Public Service Excellence Award [PSEA] for March.
A Government spokesperson said, “The Government of Bermuda is pleased to recognise the West Pembroke School Arts Committee, Department of Education, as a recipient of the Public Service Excellence Award for their exceptional delivery of the Winter Soul Production at West Pembroke School.
“The Arts Committee, led by Mrs. Oneka Trott and comprising Ms. Charmaine Foggo‑Friday, Mr. Jared Robinson, Ms. Stacy Babb, Ms. Michelle Spenser, Ms. Sierra Reid, and Ms. Shacolbi Basden, successfully planned and delivered a large‑scale school production that exceeded expectations and demonstrated strong community engagement. The Winter Soul Production was originally scheduled for three performances but was extended to five evenings in response to significant public interest.
“The performances were attended by students, families, staff, and members of the wider community and attracted attention from local media and public figures. Committee members worked extensively beyond normal school hours to coordinate planning, rehearsals, and programme delivery, ensuring a well‑organised, inclusive, and high‑quality production that showcased student talent and strengthened school pride and cultural participation.
Premier David Burt said, “Government is pleased to recognise the West Pembroke School Arts Committee with the Public Service Excellence Award. I had the privilege of attending the sold-out encore performances, and the teachers are deserving of this recognition. Staging a production of this quality takes a lot of work, and returning in the spring for encore performances meant going above and beyond, giving even more of their time and energy outside of normal school hours.”
Minister of Education Crystal Caesar, extends congratulations to the West Pembroke School Arts Committee for their outstanding delivery of the Winter Soul Production.
Minister Caesar said, “Your creativity, dedication, and commitment to the Arts not only showcased your skills, it enriched the cultural life of your school community. The production brought ‘old school’ music and energy to 21st century students, it had the audiences dancing, singing and laughing. It is a shining example of the transformative power of the arts in education and you should be immensely proud of the enjoyment you brought to all who experienced it.”
Head of the Public Service, Ms. Cherie Whitter, said, “The work of the West Pembroke School Arts Committee is a great example of commitment to meaningful student engagement and achievement. Our educators consistently strive to achieve excellence, and we’re pleased to recognize their contributions to student success. I extend my sincere thanks to the entire team for representing the Public Service with professionalism and pride.”
The Public Service Excellence Award recognises individuals or teams within the Public Service who have demonstrated exceptional service delivery and achievement within the last 60 days.
